6 February 2010 time for guidelines to be enforced

6 February 2010 time for guidelines to be enforced


A reading intensive weekend lies ahead for me. I’ve completed assigned reading in one of the Holocaust History texts for the coming two week period. I’m 1/3rd of the way through the companion text. I’ve completed one of the auxiliary books and should write a review of it although, as an auditor rather than a student I’m not required to hand in any written work for this class. I’m curious to see how I measure up against the students in this class. I’ll probably write the review.

The book to be reviewed deals with the participation in face-to-face executions of thousands of Jews, and with the deportation of thousands more as the Einzatzegruppen swept through the Pale behind the Wermacht in 1941. The men who committed the murders were members of a reserve battalion of “Order Police” drafted into service by the Nazis to kill or transport Jews. The unit served no other function. The author attempts to solve the question of how “Ordinary Men” could carry out such assignments.

Since members of my extended family were murdered by Einzatzegruppen C in “Aktions” around Polonnoye and at Babi Yar, the book hits home at a personal level that I doubt anyone else in the class will be able to recognize.

I still have to read Levi’s book about surviving the camps. That’s going to bring up some ugly associations too.

Then there is the text for Crime Scene Investigation. The text is a general survey book that is designed for entry level familiarization with the duties of an investigator. The reading, so far, has been easy and interesting. It puzzles me still that no one seems to be bothered to take notes during the class period. For some reason the instructor is spoon-feeding the class, not making them work to figure out for their selves what may be important when exams roll around.

In return, they repay her baby-sitting by coming to class late, by playing with their cell phones during her lectures, by getting up to throw candy wrappers and other trash away while she is speaking. I don’t understand such behavior in class and would not tolerate it if I were teaching this class or any class. I wouldn’t spoon feed them the class material, either. My opening comments would be that everything in the books and every word I might speak is likely to appear on some sort of exam. I’d close the door at the time class is to begin, and not open it for late students. I’m sure that such methods of instruction are not considered appropriate for teaching undergrads these days. I recall guidelines for behavior in this class being handed out the first day of class. It’s time to enforce them.

Off to read.